Email and instant messaging programs have greatly reduced the amount of paper that many businesses use, but many still need to print a considerable amount of hard copy for various reasons. Just as with anything else in the office, the faster you can print documents, the faster you can move on to other tasks that are perhaps more profitable. If you have a USB printer that is printing slowly, or shows in Windows as a legacy USB 1.1 type printer -- when you know it's a newer USB 2.0 model -- you can improve performance of the printer by ensuring that it communicates with the computer and receives print data at the faster USB 2.0 speed.

Ports and Connections

Unless you have a computer made in the 1990s, your USB ports are almost certainly USB 2.0-capable. Therefore, if you see the infamous “This USB device can perform faster if you connect it to a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port” error message in Windows, the first thing you should do is check the cable connection between the printer and your computer. Rather than just looking at the cable connection, though, it is better to remove the cable ends and reinsert them until firmly seated. If your USB printer connects to a front-panel USB port on your computer, you'll probably see far fewer error messages and get faster print speeds if you connect it to one of the ports on the back of the PC instead. Front-panel USB ports for your printer are often underpowered and may not receive stable voltage from the motherboard.

Latest Printer Drivers

If the cable connection between your printer and PC appears to be okay, you should next ensure that you have appropriate application and driver software installed for your USB printer. Sometimes, if you install the application or driver provided on the installation disk, you are actually installing a relatively old version of the software. Likewise, if you use the Windows native driver for your USB printer, you may be installing an outdated version as well. Printer manufacturers release updated application and driver software frequently. Consequently, you should always download and install the latest version of the print software and drivers for your version of Windows. You can download the latest print application and driver software from the support website of the manufacturer of your printer.

Old USB Chipset Drivers

Another hardware issue that can cause slow printing speeds or force the printer into USB 1.1 mode has nothing to do with the printer itself, but rather with the USB chipset on the motherboard. If you're sure you have the latest printer drivers for your version of Windows, it's time to ensure that you have the latest software for your motherboard as well. If you've ever had to reinstall Windows, the operating system probably installed generic drivers for chipsets on the motherboard – including the USB ports. Downloading and installing the manufacturer’s driver for your motherboard may not only resolve any USB mode errors, but may also improve the overall performance of your computer considerably.

USB Hub Issues

The same power and voltage issues that apply to the front-panel USB ports on your computer apply to many USB hubs. Power and voltage issues are particularly of concern with hubs that don't have their own external power supplies and receive current only from the computer. Your computer probably has several USB ports, and you should always use one of them for your printer. If you must use a USB hub because of a lack of ports, reserve it for less power-hungry devices such as flash drives or webcams. If you have a USB hub with an external power source, it will probably work with your USB printer. Nevertheless, if you connect a USB 1.1 mode device to the hub, all other devices connected to the hub will run in USB 1.1 mode as well -- even if they are USB 2.0 capable.

Extension Cable Problems

If you need to use a USB extension cable because of the placement of your printer, ensure that you use the correct type. Using a simple pass-through USB extension cable together with the original data cable can often cause connection or USB mode errors. When choosing a USB extension cable for your USB printer, select one that has an active circuitry module. You can often differentiate active USB extension cables from simple pass-through cables by looking for the oval square-shaped bulge in the center of the cable or at one of the ends. While active extension cables can help resolve USB errors, it’s still best to use a single data cable if possible.

About the Author

Jeff Grundy has been writing computer-related articles and tutorials since 1995. Since that time, Grundy has written many guides to using various applications that are published on numerous how-to and tutorial sites. Born and raised in South Georgia, Grundy holds a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.